Dust-pan.



No. 637,908. I Patented Nov. 28, [899. A. J. VROMAN.

DUST PAN.

(Application filed May 8, 1899.)

. (No Model.)

UNITED STATE-s PATENT O FIEZE.

AL'ONZO J. VROMAN, OF BLACK RIVER FALLS, IVISOONSIN.

DUST-PAN.

srncrrrcacrio'iv forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,908, datedNovember as, 189?). Application filed May 8, 1899. Serial No. 715,929.(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO J. VROMAN, of Black River Falls, in thecounty of Jackson and State of Wisconsimhave invented a new and usefulImprovement in Dust-Pans, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part ofthis specification.

Dust-pans as commonly made for using in household economy are of sheetmetal, having a substantially fiat bottom of considerable extent, a rearwall to which a handle is affixed, and side walls, the bottom being constructed with a thin laterally-elongated front edge without a wall, thewhole pan being rigid and non-flexible throughout. The bottom of suchpan, especially at the front edge, is usually considerably wider thanthe holes (for pots, kettles, &c.) in the tops of stoves and ranges incommon use. This construction renders the ordinary dust-pan inconvenientin use in discharging dust and foreign matter taken up thereon intostove-holes or ordinary dust-receptacles, such as pails or analogousutensils.

The object of my invention is to provide a dust-pan which while havingawide and ample edge and bottom for taking up dust and foreign matterthereon is adapted to be so folded up as to form a comparatively narrowchute at the front edge, exceedingly convenient for readily andcompletely discharging the dust and matter thereon into a stove-hole,dust-pail, or other household utensil having a receiving-aperture lesswide than the extended front edge of the ordinary dust-pan.

My invention consists of the pan and its parts and combinations ofparts, as herein described and claimed, or their equivalents.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan View of my improved dust-pan.Fig. 2 is an under side View of the improved dust-pan. Fig. 3 is a frontView of the same pan. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improveddust-pan, the wings or extensions being turned up in the manner they areto be folded or turned up for conveniently discharging dust therefrominto a stove-hole or similar contracted aperture. Fig. 5 is a front edgeelevation of the dustpan, its Wings being folded inwardly, as shown inFig. 4.

My improved dust-pan is constructed chiefly of sheet metal. The bottom10 is provided with a rigid upturned rear wall 11 and a hollow handle12, secured rigidly centrally to the rear wall 11 and projectingtherefrom substantially at a right angle thereto. The rigidcentrally-disposed bottom 10 of my improved dust-pan is without rigidside or front walls; but wings or extensions 13 13, one at each side,are hinged thereto along its respective side edges, these wings beingrespectively provided with a side wall 14 and a rear wall 15. The rearwalls 15 are preferably of substantially the same height and dispositionwith reference to the bottom of the pan as the rear wall 11. The bottom10 is also pref erably formed to taper inwardly slightly at its sides,so that the front edge of the bottom 10 is preferably a little narrowerthan the rear edge at its junction with the rear wall 11. Those portionsof the wings 13 that form parts of the bottom of the pan when the wingsare extended, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are preferably madeconsiderably wider at the front edge than at the rear edge, so that theentire extended front edge of the pan when the wings are thrown outlaterally is considerably longer than the rear edge and walls 11 and 15together are in the complete pan. This provides a wide or long frontedge of the pan for taking up dust thereon from a floor; but when thedust is to be discharged from the pan the Wings 13 are folded upwardlyand inwardly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and thereby the bottoms of thewings 13 become side walls to the main bottom 10, forming acomparatively narrow chute or edge for discharging the dust and foreignmatter therefrom, which, by the uptilting of the wings, will fall fromthe wings onto the main bottom 10. For conveniently uptilting the wings13 and extending them again I provide a rockshaft16, mounted in thehandle 12 and rear wall 11, to the front end of which rock-shaft across-bar 17 is secured, and the extremities of this cross-bar areconnected by rods 18 18 pivotally to the rear walls 15 of the wings 13at points somewhat above the hinging of these wings to the bottom 10. Itwill be understood that by oscillating the rock-shaft 16 the wings 13 13can be swung upwardly into the infolded' positions shown in Figs. 4 and5 and thrown outwardly again into the extended positions of the handgrasping the handle 12.

shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. As a convenient means for oscillating theshaft 16 I provide a radially-projecting lever-handle 19, which isadvisably located near the inner end of the shaft 16 and projectsthrough a laterally-e29 tending slot 20 therefor in the handle 12. Atthis locality and in this position the leverhandle 19 can be readilyshifted by the thumb The construction and disposition of the parts issuch that when the wings 13 are extended in the position shown in Fig. 3the cross-bar 17 is tilted to a position beyond the center of motion ofthe rock-shaft or to such a position with reference to the rock-shaftthat any effort or attempt to uptilt the wings 13 by lifting on themwill produce such a push on the rockshaft as to force the lever-handle19' firmly against the end wall of the slot 20, and thereby prevent theuptilting of the wings 13.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A dust-pan, comprising a centralmain bottom and-rear wall, and thereto hinged laterally-extending anduptiltable side wings provided with side walls.

2. In a dust-pan, a central bottom and rear wall, andlaterally-extending side members hinged to the central bottom alongconverging lines so as when the side members are uptilted to form atrough or chute narrowing toward the front'edge.

3. In a dust-pan, the combination of a main ,2 ceases bottom, wingshinged to the main bottom at the sides thereof, and means forsynchronously uptilting and extending the wings.

4. In a dust-pan, the combination with a central main bottom, a rearwall secured rigidly to the main bottom, and a handle proj ectin'grearwardly from the rear wall,of wings hinged to and extending laterallyfrom the main bottom, a rock-shaft in the handle provided with across-bar, and rods connecting the arms of the cross-bar respectively tothe hinged wings.

5. In a dust-pan, the combination with a central, main bottom, a rearwall permanent on the main bottom, a handle projecting rearwardly fromthe rear wall, and provided with a lever slot and wings hinged to thesides of the main bottom, of a rock-shaft in the handle, a cross-bar onthe rock-shaft, rods connecting the arms of the cross-bar to the sideWings, and a lever-handle projecting radially from the rock-shaft in theslot in the handle, the construction and disposition of the parts beingsuch that when the wings are extended the parts are locked in positionagainst accidental displacement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I ALONZO J. VROMAN. Witnesses:

T. S. FLOYD,

A. A. RANDALL.

